Several days had passed since the esteemed actress Yui had graced the Narito household with her outstanding performance. Yuuki had just returned from school to find Mina sitting on the sofa fiddling with her phone. Normally if her phone was in her hands, it meant that she was playing a game with the volume at max. That wasn’t the case today. She was quiet, perhaps too quiet.
Yuuki changed out of his school uniform and into his loungewear before sitting down next to Mina. In response, she scooted away from her brother and hid her phone from him.
“What’s wrong?” Yuuki asked.
“I’m texting a friend. No peeking.”
“Sorry, what?” he involuntarily responded before he could stop himself.
“Y-You heard me. I made a new friend,” Mina said with an awkward smile.
“Have you now? Nice going. What’s their name?”
“R-Rika.”
“Just checking, but she isn’t imaginary, right?”
“H-Hey! That’s just rude!” Mina protested and angrily stormed out of the living room. She remained locked in her room for the rest of the day after that, only leaving for lunch.
Her abnormal behavior continued into the next day as well, as she returned home from school much later than Yuuki did.
“I’m gonna call my friend, so don’t bother me!” Mina commanded. Again, she secluded herself in her room, now for the second day in a row.
Yuuki wondered why she didn’t spend more time with her supposed friend after school if she was just going to call her immediately after returning home. Whatever the case, it seemed that it was now becoming a habit for Mina to hide herself away in her room and only foray outside for food.
“I’m so, so, so busy chatting with my friend. I don’t even have any time to spend with you anymore, Yukkie,” she grumbled as she continued to tap away at her phone.
Moreover, it appeared that her interest in being a maid and such had gone with the wind. If anything, this was good news for Yuuki, since he no longer had to worry about Mina’s destructive attempts at doing chores. Still, he didn’t like that she was so preoccupied with her friend that he got to spend less and less time with her.
“Oh bee tee dubs, how’s Yui? Haven’t seen her in a while,” Mina suddenly asked with an inquiring glance.
Yui the Star was in need of a well-deserved rest, so Yuuki hadn’t invited her to his apartment ever since that day. Plus, each unnecessary exposure to Mina only increased the risk of blowing their cover. There was no need for him to go out of his way to bring that dazzling actress Yui out of retirement so recklessly.
“It’s the weekend tomorrow. Aren’t you planning to go on a date with her?” Mina continued, leaving Yuuki at a loss. He reluctantly dug his phone out of his pocket and sent Yui a text asking her what she thought of the idea. She agreed, leaving him with an impromptu date to look forward to.
The following morning, Yuuki had gotten changed at his usual pace and was just about ready to head out. When he walked into the living room, he saw that Mina was preparing to go out herself.
I figured that was her plan, Yuuki thought. “Are you coming with, Mina?”
“Ever seen a sister accompanying her brother on a romantic date before?” she asked.
“I take it that you weren’t going to follow me? Then where are you going?”
“I have plans with a friend,” she said with a smirk.
Damn, she’s full of surprises lately, Yuuki thought. Regardless, he was beginning to get anxious about the true identity of that friend of hers. “Let me ask you something for my own peace of mind: this isn’t some stranger you met on the Internet, right?”
“O-Of course not! It’s a friend from school!” she insisted.
Yuuki had no reason to suspect that she wasn’t telling the truth. After all, he didn’t believe she actually had the guts to meet up with Internet strangers. Of course, there was always the possibility that she was being stubborn and denying that she truly did want to tag along with Yuuki.
“You sure you don’t want to come?” he asked once more to make extra sure.
“I’m telling you I’m going to hang out with a friend!” she argued. She made herself perfectly clear, so he refrained from pursuing the matter any further.
Maybe she got asked out on a date by a guy or something? Can’t rule out that possibility, he thought. She did say she had plans with a friend, but she didn’t specify whom, after all. Yuuki was naturally worried about her, but he figured that being over-protective would only get in the way of her independence as a person.
“Don’t you have a date to worry about, Yukkie?! Forget ‘bout me, and go already!”
“Fine. Don’t keep your friend waiting too long, okay?” he warned before leaving the apartment.
Yuuki and Yui had decided on meeting up in the plaza of a neighboring train station. Yuuki walked there on foot and ended up arriving earlier than what they’d initially agreed on.
The weather was great today; it was mostly sunny with just a few clouds floating about lazily in the sky. A refreshing breeze blew by from time to time, making the prospect of standing around basking in the sunlight that much more enjoyable. Yuuki sat on top of a brick wall and watched the cars coming and going, the swarms of people making their way in and out of the station, and the clock tower topping the station. His people-watching was interrupted when a person walked right up to him.
“Earth to Yuuki, over?” the lively voice rang. He looked up and saw his date, Yui, waving her hand in his face. “Did I keep you waiting?” she asked with a smile.
“Yes. You’re six minutes late.”
“Look here, buddy, let me lay it all out for you. You’re supposed to say something like: ‘No, Yui! I just got here myself! You’re looking lovely today, by the way!’” she explained. Her imitation of him was quite nasally, and she strung words together at a strange pace. At this point, Yuuki stood up, looked away from the clock tower, and focused on Yui instead. “... Sorry I was late. Something came up back at home, and I ended up losing track of time,” Yui explained bashfully while straightening her collar.
Today, Yui was wearing a white blouse with a bow tie neck along with a medium-length checkered skirt to match. She looked like a porcelain doll, a style worlds apart from the getup she had on the last time Yuuki had seen her at the station.
“You look great today,” he praised her.
“I always look great,” she retorted. Yuuki stood in place and eyed her up from top to bottom. This must’ve made Yui uncomfortable, as she began looking away and twiddling her thumbs. “C-Could you stop ogling me like that?”
“Oh, yeah. My bad. You’re just so cute. You look like the daughter of a rich family,” Yuuki said. Yui’s cheeks were beginning to curl up into a smile, but when she noticed Yuuki’s glances, she toned it down to a more serious expression instead.
“A-Anyways, where are you taking me today, Yuuki?” she asked.
“I dunno. Don’t have a specific place in mind,” he promptly answered.
“Then why did you tell me to come to the station specifically?” Yui asked, her eyes full of scorn as she approached him threateningly.
“Just seemed like a good place to meet up,” he responded.
“Haah, so you asked me on a date without planning anything in advance? Are you kidding? Nothing at all? You can’t be serious, man,” she complained, letting out an exaggerated sigh.
“Well, you know. I thought Mina would come with me, so...”
“What do you mean?”
“Thought all three of us could hang out today. But then Mina told me she had other plans with a friend,” Yuuki explained.
“Wha—? That’s great! She made a friend that fast? Good for her! You don’t sound all that happy about it though.”
“It’s not that. I’m just a bit worried.”
“Whoa, look at this worrywart. Y’know, I almost didn’t believe it when you told me she didn’t have any friends. She’s cute, cheerful... maybe a bit weird sometimes, but I don’t see why you have to worry.”
That wasn’t how Mina usually acted around strangers, but Yuuki understood where Yui was coming from. Mina had unexpectedly opened up to Yui, even though that was only their first time ever meeting. Even the typically immovable Yuuki was surprised.
“Well anyway, I’m used to getting led around town by Mina. So I haven’t planned anything.”
“Hmm, I see. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”
“Not really.”
“Let’s just go back home and forget this ever happened.”
“How about we go where you want to then, Yui?” he asked.
“Huh? Me? Well, I, uh,” she stumbled after having been abruptly put on the spot like that.
Guess she’s as much at a loss for what to do as I am, despite all that big talk of hers, he thought before saying, “This is my first time asking somebody out, so I’m not really sure how these things work. But you sound pretty used to it.”
“W-Well, you could say that, haha,” she chuckled awkwardly and evaded the question. Something was off about how she was acting.
Maybe she’s just nervous, Yuuki thought. Then again, she looks way too confident. Hmm.
Neither of them could come up with a plan, and things were beginning to get awkward. However, Yui’s phone was here to save the day. She began browsing around for a suitable location for their date.
“H-How about we start by going to that cafe over there and—”
“Ah, I got it,” Yuuki interrupted. “There is one place we could go.”
“Wha—?”
“Let’s go,” he said, grabbing Yui by the hand.